Last weekend, Sig received some very unfortunate news regarding an eBay sale he made of an Alpha card. It turns out, the card may have been clipped Beta. This begs the question: how can one detect the difference? This week Sig investigates.

The post Clipped Beta vs. Alpha: A Cautionary Tale first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

David outlines one of the most unexpected Magic shortages in the pandemic era, storage and shipping supplies, and what you can do to alleviate the effects of this shortage.

The post Worldwide Shortages and You first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

Sig's records aren't perfect, but he has recently just passed his 500th MTG finance article--nearly ten years of writing! This week Sig reflects back on his MTG finance journey, the key decisions along the way, and what makes Magic the greatest game in the world.

The post My 500th (ish) MTG Finance Article: A Self-Reflection first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

Returning from a well-deserved vacation, Sig takes a wider look at the Magic finance landscape, examining Modern Horizons 2, Reserved List staples, and more.

The post Modern Horizons 2 and Summer Regressions first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

Glancing at pre-order prices, Sig noticed Modern Horizons 2 is coming out of the gate on the expensive side. This week, he makes some comparisons to the first Modern Horizons to create his prognosis for prices for the set's singles.

The post On Modern Horizons 2 Prices first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

This week, Kai puts the market under a microscope in preparation for the release of Modern Horizons 2, with a focus on Modern.

The post A Shift in the Markets first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

David examines Beledros Witherbloom, the new Golgari Elder Dragon from Strixhaven, with a focus on Commander.

The post Insider: Beledros Speculation Opportunities first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

Last week's inflation data created shock waves in the stock market. This piqued Sig's curiosity: does inflation also impact the Magic market? He found an article that describes the potential impact very well...oh, and that article was written in 1978!

The post Inflation’s Impact on Your Magic Investment first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

In any sort of investing, it's important to define key terms in order to make sense of and properly evaluate investment opportunities. David outlines these key terms, and how they relate to Magic.

The post Defining Our Terms first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

It's no surprise some older cards have peaked and are now pulling back. What DOES surprise Sig is that some cards are back on the climb and nearing previous highs. Why the split? This week, Sig looks at the numbers.

The post A Dichotomy in Old Card Prices first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

Magic broke into mainstream media, briefly, last week. Popular music artist Post Malone was sighted purchasing Magic cards at a local card shop. Is this enough to catalyze some sort of growth? This week, Sig shares his thoughts on the matter.

The post How Could Magic Go Mainstream? first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

This week Sig examines recent pricing trends on some of Magic's historically most overprinted and under-powered sets: Homelands, Fallen Empires, and Chronicles. Without looking, can you guess what booster boxes of these sets sell for today? The answer may surprise you!

The post What Was Once Undesirable is Now Hot first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

It's no secret: Alpha cards are very expensive now. There are just not very many copies to go around. But what about Beta? It's print run is larger, but relative to the player base, it's still tiny. This week Sig examines the Beta market and shares his thoughts on Beta's likely price trajectory.

The post Shifting Focus to Beta first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

Tax season is upon us in the US. David does a deep dive on taxes related to online sellers, and some tips for the year ahead.

The post Section 9674: How the Stimulus Bill Will Impact Your Online Magic Card Sales first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

Kai examines the recent spike of Chain of Smog from Onslaught, its infinite combo potential with Professor Onyx, and what that will mean for prices the near future.

The post Chain of Smog: From Bulk to Broken first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

Kai takes one last look at Time Spiral Remastered, with cautionary advice on the expectation of set and singles values.

The post Is Time Spiral Remastered Too Good to Be True? first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

"History repeats itself." We hear this phrase time and again to describe all sorts of socioeconomic phenomena. But does it apply to the Magic market this time? This week, Sig examines the market-moving forces of 2020-2021 and compares back to 2017-2018.

The post Will History Repeat Itself This Time? first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

As card prices continue to climb, it's OK to take profits. Really. This week, Sig shares three mantras he keeps in mind to help him overcome negative emotions associated with selling.

The post Three Mantras to Taking Profits first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

David examines the recent movement in Reserved List rares, and outlines the telltale signs of a bubble about to pop.

The post Insider: Bubble of Baubles first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

As many once-forgotten cards skyrocket in price, now could be a great time to consider selling. But Sig doesn't recommend selling just anything. This week he shares guidelines on how to approach this volatile, sellers' market.

The post Stop and Sell Something Already first appeared on Quiet Speculation.